For many young girls, including me, Disney’s Mulan (1998) served as an inspiration to be brave, strong, and to break gender barriers. However, it would be a lie to say that this remake of the original “The Ballad of Mulan” was entirely accurate.
The Original Story
In “The Ballad of Mulan,” Hua Mulan joins the army in place of her father. After 10 years of fighting, she returns home with her army to be rewarded by the emperor. Afterwards, she finally reveals herself as a woman.
The story reflects strong Confucian ideas of filial piety when Mulan decides to join the army in place of her father, showing her devotion and care to protect him. At the same time, however, she defies him by enlisting without telling anyone and acting on her own belief about how best to protect her father. This aspect of the story provides an interesting perspective on the concept of filial piety. Should you disobey your parents in order to devote yourself to and protect them?
Another primary aspect of this story is gender roles. When Mulan reveals herself to her fellow soldiers at the end, she says,
“Some say the male rabbit’s paws tend to thump and move about, while the female rabbit’s eyes are soft and hazy; but really, when they run side by side, can you tell which is male and which is female?”
This line illustrates the theme of gender roles in the story. Because Mulan fought with as much strength and bravery as her fellow soldiers, they were shocked to learn that she was a woman. They didn’t expect a woman to be strong and capable enough to fight alongside them due to their society’s gender roles.
Disney’s Adaptation
The Disney movie Mulan (1998) retells the story with the addition of details that slightly shift the narrative. In the film, the story begins with Fa Mulan preparing to find a suitor in order to bring honor to her family, only to fail in doing so. Then, to protect her injured father from being drafted, she enlists in his place and begins her training. Throughout this time, she carefully guards her identity but is eventually discovered after being injured in battle. She is branded a traitor and nearly executed, though the captain spares her life in gratitude for saving him and instead sends her home. Later, even after being expelled from the army, she travels to the capital to warn them of the enemy’s return and ultimately helps defeat him. At the end of the story, she returns home and presents her father with gifts of honor from the emperor.
Disney’s decision to include Mulan’s failed attempt to find a suitor sets up a personal motivation for her journey. Her story is not only about protecting her father, but also about proving to herself that she is not a failure.
Compared to the original story, Disney’s adaptation shifts the focus from filial piety to self-discovery and acceptance. Although filial piety is still present through the idea of bringing honor to one’s family, Mulan’s journey is also deeply motivated by her desire to accept herself for who she is, rather than conform to what others expect her to be.
Another major change is the treatment of Mulan’s identity as a woman. In the original story, her fellow soldiers were simply shocked when she revealed the truth. In the Disney version, however, her discovery is portrayed as an act of treason, nearly costing her life. This dramatization highlights the seriousness of gender roles in her society. Her identity was further emphasized after she saved the palace from the enemy and was praised and honored by the emperor, despite being thrown out of the army. This illustrates the theme of breaking out of gender roles and boundaries. Even when faced with extreme obstacles, women can rise and even excel in male-dominated areas. Mulan was one of, if not, the first Disney princess to show that she could not only save herself but also the man too.
Traditional vs. Western
The creative changes Disney made to Mulan’s story reflect their goal of appealing to their target audience: young girls in the United States. In the original ballad, Mulan’s primary purpose for joining the army is to protect her father, reflecting Confucian ideals of filial piety. In Disney’s adaptation, there is an added motivation for her to prove her own worth. The story moves from traditional, family-centered values to more individualistic, Western values.
Furthermore, Disney’s emphasis on Mulan’s identity as a woman was clearly designed to empower young girls, encouraging them to break through restrictive gender roles and embrace their own strengths. This was an especially powerful message in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time when more women in the U.S. were beginning to enter male-dominated fields and make a name for themselves despite barriers. While the original story acknowledges gender roles and critiques them subtly, the Disney version actively challenges and reshapes them.
Reflection
As mentioned at the beginning, Disney’s Mulan was deeply inspirational and empowering story for me and many other young girls. Not only was she was one of the earliest major representations of Chinese culture in American media, but her story also taught an important lesson about embracing one’s flaws and turning them into strengths. Many of Mulan’s greatest achievements in the movie did not come from physical strength, but from her intelligence and quick thinking, traits she had from the very beginning.
Is the Disney film a 100% accurate retelling of the original ballad? No, it is not. But is it an entertaining film with a meaningful message? Absolutely. It is difficult to say whether one version is “better” than the other, because each reflects the values of its time. The ballad emphasizes traditional values, while Disney emphasizes modern, Western values. At the end of the day, both versions beautifully illustrate the story of a strong woman succeeding against all odds.
